Helping You Reach Your Educational Goals
Achieving a College Education Program (ACE) is a nationally recognized program that targets students who may not consider going to college and attaining a bachelor’s degree as an achievable goal. This unique program is specifically designed to help students make a smooth transition from high school to an accredited community college, then moving on to a university in order to complete a bachelor’s degree.
ACE students are high school juniors and seniors currently enrolled in college courses while they are attending regular high school. Throughout these two years, ACE students take classes on the SMCC campus in order to experience and acclimate to a college environment in a real-time setting.
(Check out this inspiring story of how the ACE program helped the Gonzalez family of Phoenix accomplish their goals!)
Classes meet during the regular summer sessions and every Saturday during the fall and spring semesters. Upon graduating from high school, an ACE student will have earned up to 24 transferable college credits.
The SMCC ACE Program was established in 1987 and was the first ACE Program in the Maricopa County Community College District. Besides attending classes, ACE students and their families participate in an orientation and a series of ongoing activities and events such as financial aid workshops designed to keep them informed and connected throughout the two years.
It is important to recognize that ACE students enrolled at one of the Maricopa Community Colleges are considered college students with all the corresponding rights, responsibilities, privileges and benefits.